Young Artist of the Week : Deniz Merdan, minimalist photographer with a bent for the body

Deniz Merdan was born in Istanbul, but considers himself half-Turkish, half-Alien. As a minimalist photographer, Deniz communicates the fleeting yet powerful interactions that occur between him and his subjects. Despite his family’s determination to convert him into a serious biologist while growing up, the closest he comes to a lab is to develop his pictures. Nonetheless, his family’s persistence did lead him to develop a strong admiration for the human body, which he has since been capturing with his lens.

Today, Deniz has many exciting projects and projects to keep himself busy: he is currently working with director Tolga Erdem on a movie project for a Turkish olive and fishing company called Zeytin. He is also teaching private workshops for portrait and fashion photography and is the Director of Photography at Creative Boost Photography.

L’Orient a L’Occident, Deniz Merdan

Best thing about the local arts scene?
Lots of cross-pollination with different artists in different mediums. Affordable, large studios or just the fact that there are a lot of them.

The best gallery in town?
Montreal street art is very rich and one doesn’t even have to go to the galleries to see it. It’s quite amazing the stuff you get to see on the streets. Gorilla art, graffiti, music, murals, tattoos, people. Even the way people dress and march down the street. As a photographer, those are my real subjects too. People who live their art. Nobody goes to the galleries anymore. Well maybe when the drinks are free.

Critics: enlightening experts or bitter art world failures?
We need someone looking at and talking about our work, don’t we?

The most underrated local artist?
There are a few that fit the description. For example: myself.

L’Orient a L’Occident, Deniz Merdan

The golden rule of vernissage for the uninitiated?
This one depends on whether the uninitiated is the artist or the visitor. Rules are a bit more flexible for the artist you know. But, more than two shakes is playing with it. Nobody likes a lingerer.

Andy Warhol: artistic visionary or dilettante?
I dont know, Keith Richards should snort him up. If Warhol was not a visionary, he should at least induce one.

The class you are always psyched about these days?
I am super psyched about my own classes these days. I am teaching a few photography workshops and I have some of the coolest students. We have portrait, fashion, street photography and everything in between covered and it’s been a lot of fun inspiring people.

The secret ingredient to great chemistry with others on a project?
I am currently working on a book project with Alan Ganev. I also have a few film projects happening locally and internationally. Collaborations can be tough times for some artists. The main point is to care about each project equally.

Adonis, by Deniz

The starving artist syndrome: a self-imposed reality or the product of our current economic climate?
I don’t necessarily believe that an artist needs to be starving to be considered good. Last good starving artist was Van Gogh. Nowadays, most artists are doing just fine. Artists who really care about their work and put in the effort to get it to people seem to receive a payoff in some way. The days of "selling out" are done, it’s called "buying in". The creative process can be a painful one, emotionally and financially but sometimes it pays off. Life is not fair, it never has been. But also universe is indifferent. It doesn’t care if you succeed or not. In all this darkness, some people manage to make a good life for themselves, and some artists just know the right people.

denizmerdan.com